Wooism
Wooism, while technically part of a polytheistic religious system that acknowledges other gods’ existence, is the worship of only one god, Lord 'Woo. The 'Woo is generally referred to as being bird-like, though what bird in particular can vary from believer to believer. He may be a weewoo, he may be a dove, he may be a hawk, he may be a penguin, or he may be more of a metaphysical construct than an actual bird. The Book of Woo The Wooist holy book is simply called the Book of Woo. It is made up of multiple 'chapters', referred to as Books of 'Woo - either phrasing refers to the compounded volume containing all the chapters. Currently-known Books include the Book of Wisdom, the Book of Heart, and the Book of Strength. Holy Symbols A three-feathered woocifix may be worn by followers of the Woo, and almost all priests wear one. Priests-in-training wear a one-feathered version, often made of wood. Seminarians wear gray clothing, and switch to white when they’re ordained. The sign of the triple-feather, a gesture to ward off evil, mimics the shape of the Woocifix (though the exact method of making the gesture has changed over the years; in the 700s, the gesture began by with a touch to the chest, then the head, then the left shoulder and right shoulder; by the 1300s, it was custom to touch one shoulder, then the other, and lastly the head; in modern-times, a follower moves from left to right, touching their left shoulder, head, then right shoulder). Optional when making this gesture is curling the index and middle finger to touch the tip of the thumb, somewhat resembling the shape of grasping talons. Birds and the color white - and white birds especially - can be considered more general holy symbols. Fully-ordained priests wear white clothing, some churches keep dovecotes, and many 'Wooists may wear clothing, jewelry, or some otherwise decorative piece in the shape of a bird, feather, or talon. Holy Water Water blessed by the 'Woo is used in Wooist ceremonies such as baptisms, but can also be used to repel or harm certain monsters and disrupt certain magics. Holy water is blessed by a priest, who recites a prayer while dipping a Woocifix or similar hly symbol into a small body of water. Talismans Talismans differ from Woocifixes in both shape and power, though they are both holy symbols of the 'Woo. A talisman is an intricate construction of a wooden frame, thread, and numerous feathers. While white feathers are generally preferred, any bird feather - and any combination of feathers - will work equally well. The feathers, generally five to nine depending on the size of the frames and feather, are arranged in a downwards-facing arc, rather like the broad tail of a hawk. A completed talisman is only more powerful than a Woocifix when blessed with holy water by an ordained priest. A blessed tailsman has much stronger protective capabilities than a Woocifix; it can interrupt or entirely destroy dark spells, remove glamours, and actively ward off dark creatures and demons. It even seems to have some small effect on people with harmful motivations, making them uneasy and less likely to follow through with their initial intention. This power only lasts for so long, however, and can only be used so much before it runs out. When used against very strong creatures or magic, the talisman will actually start to crumble and fall apart as if burned. In the Medieval metagame, talismans could be crafted by the priest role, and sent to any other player in the game. The talisman would protect the one holding it against any harmful action that took place during the night. Afterward, or if the item was caught by the Interceptor, the talisman crumbled away. Churches Stuff about Wooist churches will mostly likely go in a big paragraph here at some point \ o / *The Grand Woo Cathedral - Medieville *First Holy Church of Woo - Medieville *Holy Cathedral of Lord Woo - Solis, Corvus *Our Woo of Charity - Iscaria, Corvus *Cathedral of Saint Absolon - Destrier, Bern * Palfrey Cathedral- Palfrey, Bern * Woo's Wing Cathedral - Astralagos, Corvus * St. Seraphina's - Corvus * The Grand Cathedral of the Martyr Rivka - Heleos, Corvus * Church of the Hallowed Woo - Ecliptus, Corvus Though it is unknown whether it exists in the 1300s, the following churches exist in the 2000s. * The Church of the Most Blessed Weewoo Feather- Aifam Cove, present-day Albion. As well as the above churches, there are many abbeys found acros the regions of Kyth. Notable ones are: * Roan Abbey- southern Bern. * Destrier Abbey- Destrier, Bern. Attached to the Cathedral. * Palfrey Abbey- Palfrey, Bern. Holidays St. Omer's Day A holiday celebrated in Corvus, commemorating St. Omer's deliverance of the people from a great famine. House Jade celebrates the holiday by holding a grand feast, gathering all the nobles and a few lucky peasants get together and partake of the bounty. Feast day of St. Absolon A significant date in the calendar of Bern, celebrated on the 11th of May which was allegedly the day of the saint's death. It is celebrated by noble and peasant alike holding a grand banquet, with the minor nobility of the region expected to attend the one held by Stallion. Woomas/The Twelve Days of Woomas A winter holiday celebrated by much of Wooist Kyth, beginning on the 14th of December and ending on the 25th. Each Day of Woomas involves a small ritual meant to emulate the deeds of Lord 'Woo and the people of Kyth in a story from the Book of Heart, in which Lord 'Woo spends twelve days on Avani to fight a 'Pit-creature. The celebration is meant to fortify people against the emotional hardships of winter, and to celebrate family and friends. The full list of rituals can currently be found here. Day 1=Preparation for the 12 Days, in particular getting lanterns sprinkled with holy water Night 1 - First lantern lightning (often an evening church ceremony, and then the congregation walks home to hang the lantern on their door), start of sugar fast. |-|Day 2=Releasing birds from the church |-|Day 3=Scattering seeds for the birds |-|Day 4=Many variations on this one - communities with lots of children might hunt for rocks painted or etched with feathers (which can be exchanged for some sort of reward); other churches might have a ‘paint a rock and reflect’ session. |-|Day 5=Another heavily-varied celebration; some smaller communities with enough birds to provide may have their congregation hold feathers during sermon; others use day four to prepare and hide the feather-stones/carvings/etc. and use this day to find them |-|Day 6=Breaking the sugar fast, generally with a large breakfast including sugar-glazed breads, candied fruits, ginger candy, honeycakes, and all manner of sweets. |-|Day 7=Preparing for a big meal on Day 8, though nobility may not have to fuss with this step and so often instead spend it as a day dedicated to praying or studying theology. Some regions of Kyth, particularly areas without local nobles, combine the feast preparation and feast into one day, spending the morning and afternoon preparing food to bring to a large, communal feast in the evening. |-|Day 8=Large, communal feast, held with as much of the town as possible |-|Day 9=Caroling day; singing of traditional hymns and Woomas songs, and unveiling of new ones |-|Day 10=Expressing appreciation for family and friends |-|Day 11=Wearing white, and through magic, technology, or clever construction and showmanship, turning something from many colors into white. In Corvus especially, churches may be painted early in the day, and turned to white later. Candy, sculptures, etc. may also be constructed or enchanted to turn to white, either at a specific action or simply as the day goes on. |-|Day 12=Woomas Day, on which presents are exchanged with family and friends! Though there may be a short church service in some communities, the day is meant to be spent with loved ones. Magic Incantational magic is implied to come from Lord ‘Woo, and the god's name is in fact a part of several spells (Wooguardium Leviosa, Agwoomenti, etc), particularly holy ones (such as the Sanwootur spells). Courdonians and Meltaimans use a similar type of magic (though Courdonians are implied to have some of their own runes), so other gods seem capable of granting similar abilities to their followers. Saints Saint Nephrite - Missionary who converted the Jade family to Wooism. A mage academy in Solis is named for him. Saint Absolon - Missionary and archmage who brought Wooism to Bern. A cathedral in Destrier is named for him. Saint Seraphina - A large, prestigious church somewhere in Corvus is named for her. Saint Omer - A prophet who delivered the people from a great famine many years ago. There is a Corvid holiday named after him. Saint Ovidius- Rumoured to have studied in the Church of the Hallowed Woo in Ecliptus. Wooist Countries While followers of the 'Woo are scattered all through Avani, several countries are considered to be Wooist - these include Kyth, Valzaim, and Macarinth. Category:Medieval Category:Mafia III